Study the Effects of toxic industrial air pollutants in the workplace on the health of workers in the cloths factory in Najaf city

Abstract

Employees in the clothing industry are exposed to many health risks on the job, including physical, chemical, and industrial hazards that have the potential to cause many health complications. This research aimed to evaluate study prevalence of respiratory, skin and musculoskeletal symptoms among female Najaf clothing factory workers. This study was conducted among female clothing manufacturing staff in Najaf city, Iraq, who faced various occupational risk factors between October 2025 and January 2026. The study included 100 female workers at the Najaf clothing industry. Data were collected through direct interviews in the workplace using different types of questionnaires: respiratory symptoms, skin symptoms, musculoskeletal disorders and physical health complaints. The study indicated the increase distribution of symptoms among female Najaf clothing factory workers in cough (48%), breathlessness (40%), chest tightness (35%), and chronic cough (22%). The study also, found an increase in the percentages of moderate skin dryness (21%), moderate skin itchiness (18%), and moderate skin redness (15%) among female Najaf clothing factory workers. The study showed that health problems due to working g posture, lower back pain (82 %), hand pain (71 %), and shoulder pain (64) were the most common types of health problems. The study concluded that employees in the Najaf clothing industry faced many health risks on the job, demonstrating respiratory symptoms and musculoskeletal disorders were significantly higher in female workers at the Najaf clothing factory.